'The Ellen Show' faces internal probe after staff complaints
"You don't talk to her, you don't approach her, you don't look at her" - 'The Ellen Show' has been accused of being a toxic workplace.
Warner Media has revealed that it will be investigating 'The Ellen Show' after several staff members complained about bullying, fear, and racial microaggressions.
According to Variety, a memo was sent to staff explaining that a third-party firm will help conduct interviews with past and present staff.
The internal investigation comes after months of negative reports about the show's executive producers and senior managers allegedly making the workplace a living nightmare for the staff.
Some staff claimed they were fired after attending family funerals. One woman alleged that she returned to work after being checked into a mental facility following a suicide attempt to find that she no longer had a job.
ALSO READ: Should Trevor Noah date a Kardashian? Ellen thinks so!
The drama started in March when comedian Kevin T Porter claimed Ellen is "notoriously one of the meanest people alive".
He told his Twitter followers he would donate $2 to a food bank for every "insane story" about the 62-year-old's mean behaviour.
Kevin's post opened the floodgates and the horror stories kept flowing.
"She has a 'sensitive nose' so everyone must chew gum from a bowl outside her office before talking to her and if she thinks you smell that day you have to go home and shower," one man tweeted.
He added: "A new staff member was told every day she picks someone different to really hate. It's not your fault, just suck it up for the day and she'll be mean to someone else the next day. They didn't believe it but it ended up being entirely true."
ALSO READ: Jennifer Aniston and Ellen DeGeneres share a kiss
B) A new staff member was told "every day she picks someone different to really hate. It's not your fault, just suck it up for the day and she'll be mean to someone else the next day. They didn't believe it but it ended up being entirely true.
— Benjamin Siemon (@BenjaminJS) March 20, 2020
An old friend worked on her lot & smiled & said “good afternoon” to her one day & she became unhinged. “Who do you think you are? You don’t look at me” yada yada. She said Portia was with her & seemed embarrassed & tried to calm her down. Has forever changed my opinion of her.
— Detox (@TheOnlyDetox) March 21, 2020
After working for Ellen for over 5 years, close friend left to have baby, & found different job on a union network show (benefits etc), Ellen BEGGED her to return then fired her after 1 week, no reason given, and friend struggled for long time w new baby and no benefits etc.
— Cassandra Tells You So (@MissAbsinthe) March 21, 2020
I worked @RealFoodDaily, served her & Porsha at brunch. She wrote a letter to the owner & complained about my chipped nail polish (not that it was on her plate but just that it was on my hand). I had worked till closing the night before & this was next morn, almost got me fired.
— Chris Farah (@ChrisLFarah) March 20, 2020
I have another food one: she polices her crew's lunch orders, nobody allowed to eat fish etc. They would come hide on our stage to eat what they wanted away from her.
— Alison Freer ✂️ (@AlisonVFreer) March 20, 2020
My sister worked for the Ellen Show for two years. This is from her: “I saw Ellen in the hallways every day and would say hello and she never once said hello back. She wouldn’t smile. She wouldn’t even acknowledge me at all. For two seasons.”
— the nude eel 🌹 (@nude_eel) March 21, 2020
None of the stories shared on Twitter have been confirmed to be true but were enough for Warner Media to sit up and take notice.
Several anonymous employees have also claimed that their managers told them that they should not speak to or approach the star when she is in the office.
A former Australian 'Today' show producer seemed to corroborate the claim when he shared his own experience with Ellen and her team.
Ellen appeared on the show in 2013 for an interview with entertainment reporter Richard Wilkins.
Neil Breen, who was an executive producer at the time, said one of her producers made a bizarre request.
"The producer called us aside and said, 'Now Neil, no one is to talk to Ellen. You don't talk to her, you don't approach her, you don't look at her. She'll come in, she'll sit down, she'll talk to Richard and then Ellen will leave.' And I sort of said, 'Are you fair dinkum? I can't look at her?' I found the whole thing bizarre," the Daily Mail quoted him as saying.
One former employee claimed the show's "be kind" motto was nothing but a big farce because Ellen and her senior managers are not kind at all.
Yikes!
Ellen has not commented on the allegations.